Mayday PAC backs Shea-Porter, begins airing ads praising Rubens

CONCORD — Mayday PAC, set up earlier this year to press for campaign finance reform, has begun airing radio ads backing Republican Jim Rubens for the U.S. Senate and also announced it is endorsing Democratic U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter for reelection in the 1st Congressional District.

The PAC calls itself “the super PAC to end all super PAC” because its goal is to end huge unlimited undisclosed donations and expenditures in federal campaigns.

Mayday PAC endorsed Rubens in late July and said it would spend about $2 million in independent expenditures to promote Rubens.

One of two 60-second radio ads that begin airing Monday, Rubens is called “the only conservative in the nation to make ending this cronyism a top issue. It takes real courage to be a Republican standing up to big money in Washington.”

In the other ad, a narrator says, “There is only one Republican candidate for the United States Senate in the nation who has the courage to take on this cronyism openly.” The ad quotes from a Foster’s Daily Democrat editorial in February that says Rubens may be “just what the Republican Party needs.”

Foster’s has since endorsed Rubens GOP primary foe Scott Brown.

Also, Mayday PAC on Monday endorsed Shea-Porter along with incumbent Republican congressional Walter Jones candidate in North Carolina and Democratic candidate in Arizona, Reuben Gallego. The PAC stressed it is committed to “work with candidates who support reform on both sides of the aisle.”

The PAC cited Shea-Porter’s support for two pieces of campaign finance reform legislation and her participation in the “New Hampshire Rebellion,” a 185-mile walk across New Hampshire to focus on campaign finance reform.

It says Shea-Porter “is running against Frank Guinta,” ignoring the fact that Republican Guinta has a primary opponent, Dan Innis. The PAC cites a study by the liberal Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics that named Guinta one of the “most corrupt” members of Congress during his term due to questions about the source of some campaign funding.

Shea-Porter, meanwhile, quickly sent out her own fund-raising email, saying, “We’re preparing to go up on TV! I’m proud to practice campaign finance reform and I know you believe in that too. I’ve never taken a dime of D.C. Lobbyist money or accepted a corporate PAC check – never.”

The Mayday PAC was co-founded by Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig and former GOP strategist Mark MacKinnon.

“For both Republicans and Democrats, reform is a winning issue. Our expansion to eight (U.S. House and Senate) targets is both a testament to successful citizen-up fundraising and evidence of this movement’s broad support,” said McKinnon.